Where might the Emmys go after this year?

NBC arrived on Sept. 9, 1926, and the Emmys on Jan. 25, 1949. Two different birthdays, more than 20 years apart, but this Monday, both institutions plan to celebrate together at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

And to think: This may be the last time they do if this ends up being the last Emmys shown on broadcast TV.

The annual prime-time Emmys bash arrives Monday (8 p.m. on NBC). Mariska Hargitay hosts, Michael J. Fox gets a humanitarian statue, some awards will be handed out — and after that, who knows? A tradition as old as television itself may wrap for good. The Emmys are free to go their own way. The four TV networks are free to go their own way, too. The familiar September rite of red carpets, silly E! interviews (what are you wearing?), interminable speeches, and the unsubtle music cues that prod them along, could all go away. Or at least go to YouTube — if YouTube wants them — or some other corner of the streamingverse that does. Given their diminishing cultural cache, Pluto doesn't seem too far out of the question.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' annual prime-time awards telecast has rotated among the broadcast networks since 1967, in a shared arrangement known as "the wheel deal." That will officially end on Tuesday. Out of habit or necessity, the four networks could still renew the wheel deal, or add other venues (like YouTube) to the rotation. So rest assured, the Emmys will be airing (or streaming) somewhere next year.

Nevertheless, an enduring television tradition has come to an end. One obvious reason is that television is no longer even "television" anymore. Whatever TV is now — FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV)? TikTok, Mr. Beast? Skibidi? — it sure isn't "I Love Lucy," which won the second Emmy for a network comedy in 1953, and will be honored again Monday night with the first-ever Legacy Award.

When the Emmys arrived 77 years ago, the founding principle was simple — celebrate television, specifically CBS, NBC and ABC — yet the Emmys haven't celebrated the networks in years. Hoisted by their own petard, the tool they created to promote themselves now promotes everyone else instead.

Maybe that's why this awards telecast — unlike the Tonys or Grammys — seems filled with a sense of mortification. Recall last year's show where host Nate Bargatze docked the charity pool he created $1,000 every time a winner's speech went past 45 seconds. He ended up paying the pool out of his own pocket to cover the overruns. (One thing for certain: We probably won't see Bargatze as host again, or at least this gimmick.)

If the Emmys do shift over to streaming, they'll be not-quite-forgotten but hardly what they were. The best case is YouTube (like the Oscars in 2029), where they'll have access to the world's largest audience. But they also run the risk of being "sampled," as opposed to "viewed." They'll be force-fed into the algorithm of some user who will find them while looking for clips of "Hacks." Who wins, who loses will be something you'll find out about on Instagram or TikTok that night or the next day.

Emmys/network TV synergy

The Emmys launched in 1949 to promote brand-new TV, but that ragged, patchy new medium full of game shows and musical variety acts also needed respectability. If the Oscars conferred respectability on movies, then why not the Emmys for the networks? For decades, they did just that. Both thrived together because there was so much to celebrate on just a few channels. Viewers loved the spectacle, too. From the early '80s to the early 2000s, the telecast regularly drew around 20 million viewers, peaking in 2000 with 21.8 million viewers.

The beginning of the decline began in 2004 when "The Sopranos" won for best drama, the first victory for a nonbroadcast series. Premium cable (and more recently streaming) series have dominated ever since. A network TV series hasn't won for best comedy since "Modern Family" in 2014, or for best drama in 20 years ("24") The last time a network drama was even nominated was in the pre-COVID era ("This is Us," 2019.)

As the networks receded, and the TV revolution got underway, TV viewership fractured. While the Emmys' ratings collapsed, too, they have stabilized recently. Last year's CBS broadcast was seen by 7.6 million people, up 8% from the previous year when they were on ABC, which also saw a slight boost. Nevertheless, those figures were likely false positives: CBS's show followed an NFL game, while ABC's was the first after the actors'/writers' strike.

A new mood on Monday

For perhaps these reasons, Monday's 78th Primetime Emmys — arriving just three days after the 25th anniversary of 9/11 — already seems different. There's an elegiac feeling to this one, perhaps even a fleeting sense of finality.

With NBC's landmark birthday, they're leaning heavily into nostalgia, too. While the first Emmys were handed out in 1949, the first to honor network shows arrived in 1952, when Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz hosted the ceremony from the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, alerting winners by phone. (The show aired only in L.A.) The first network telecast was in 1955, on NBC, which had network exclusivity until 1967 when the "wheel" started. But NBC's close ties remained — Johnny Carson hosted the show from 1971 to 1974 while over the decades of broadcast dominance, NBC shows won the major awards (best drama, comedy, lead actors and actresses) about 70 times, second to CBS.

This year's Emmys will also celebrate a network classic or two, including "I Love Lucy" which debuted 75 years ago. The new "Legacy Award" — presented to a series that made a huge impact on TV and society — is the first award created by the Emmys in 20 years. (Presented to "I Love Lucy" at a Sept. 6 ceremony, viewers will see a tribute Monday.)  And another classic will get his due — a Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to Michael J. Fox, who starred in "Family Ties" from 1982 to '89, and whose Michael J. Fox Foundation has transformed awareness and research for Parkinson's.

Finally, with 25 seasons behind her, is there anyone who symbolizes the endurance of network TV more than Hargitay's Capt. Olivia Benson of "Law & Order SVU?"

So here's to Lucy, and MJ and Mariska and all the other great winners over the last 78 years. And especially to this year's worthy winners. Take a richly deserved bow — to the past, and the future, whatever it may bring.